Second Chances
by firespaws
Summary: Yuuri breaks off his engagement to Wolfram, claiming that he never loved him. But when Wolfram is kidnapped, will Yuuri realize his true feelings in time to save him? Or will he be to late? Yuuram of course!
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kyou Kara Maou. If I did, Yuuri and Wolfram would already be married, dammit!

**A/N:** Don't get confused by all of the switching around. The first section is what's happening in the present. Most of this story is like a flashback and most of it will be in Wolfram's P.O.V. So when the argument with Yuuri starts, that's a flashback.

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**Second Chances **

How long had it been? A day? A week? Or more? These thoughts haunted Wolfram's mind as he slowly opened his swollen eyelids. He blinked quickly as the harsh light nearly blinded him. He licked his dry, cracked lips, waiting for his eyes to adjust.

Wolfram's entire body ached and he barely had enough energy to lift his head. His wrists and ankles stung, rubbed raw by the chains that bound him. His golden hair was matted and caked with his own blood and the air around him stunk of decaying flesh, blood, and filth. Somewhere nearby, a voice cried out in pain and fear. There were footsteps, a loud crack, and a thud as the voice was quickly silenced.

Wolfram shifted slightly, but stopped with a hiss of pain as the small movement reopened the old wounds on his wrists. He felt blood trickle down his hands and drip off of his fingertips, landing on the dusty floor beneath him.

He wanted to scream, to shout out, and to struggle against his bonds, but one beating per day was enough; he didn't want to give his captors an excuse to beat him again. So, wordlessly, he hung his head, resting his chin on his chest. He could feel the familiar darkness enveloping him as he closed his eyes. Almost impatiently, he began to wonder just how much longer he could hold on, before his world went dark for the last time.

'_Yuuri…_'

* * *

"I've told you for the last time! Get out of my bed Wolfram!"

"But we're _engaged_, it's completely normal!"

"Normal?! Two guys sharing the same bed is about as far away from _normal_ as you can get!"

"Yuuri, we are _engaged_! How many times do I have to tell you?!"

"And how many times do I have to tell _you_ that the engagement was an _accident_?!"

"Until I believe you."

"When I first came here, I had no knowledge whatsoever of Shin Makoku's customs! How the heck was I supposed to know that slapping someone across the left cheek was a proposal for marriage?! If I had known, I would have never slapped you! I've wanted to end this so-called '_engagement_' since I accidentally proposed!"

"Is that…how you really feel?"

"Yes, it is!"

"Fine then! You'll never have to worry about me being anywhere near your room again! Forgive me, _heika_, for being such a bother!"

Wolfram slammed the door to Yuuri's room shut, breathing heavily from the argument. His brilliant, emerald eyes were alight with rage.

"That damn wimp…" he growled to no one in particular.

He stalked off furiously before his emotions caught up to and completely drowned him.

* * *

Yuuri flopped back onto his bed, letting out a long sigh and folding his arms behind his head.

Wolfram's parting words kept replaying over and over again in his head.

"_Forgive me, __**heika**__, for being such a bother!_"

Wolfram _never_ called him heika. It was always Yuuri or Wimp. It just sounded so…strange.

'_I guess I'll have to apologize later_,' the double-black decided, '_I __**was**__ a bit harsh. But he needs to understand that I'm not gay! I have no intention of marrying a man! I mean, I like girls don't I?_'

Then, he remembered how adorable Wolfram looked when he was angry. He sat up and shook his head vigorously.

'_No way! I'm __**straight**__! Aren't I?_'

But the more Yuuri pondered this question, the more complicated and unclear the answer became.

* * *

**A/N:**

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you like it. I think this story will end up being around 10 chapters or more, I'm not too sure. Also, sorry the first chapter is really, really short! I wrote it on a class trip with everyone crowding around me, trying to read it and I didnt have enough privacy to write more. And I just wanted to upload the first chapter to see if anyone liked it. I told myself that if at least some people liked it, I'd finish it. So...please review and tell me if you liked it or not! I love constructive critisism so if you have any, please share it! But only constructive critisism please. If you just review and say it sucked then that doesnt help me at all, does it? lol


	2. Mistakes

**A/N**: Sorry this took so long! A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter!! Enjoy!

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**Second Chances**

Chapter 2: Mistakes

He was back in his room. Yes, _his_ room. Wolfram scanned the bare area with a critical eye. It honestly didn't _feel_ like his room at all. But, then again, when was the last time he had slept there? Months? A year even? He didn't have the slightest idea.

Deciding to let some air into the stuffy-feeling room, the blonde opened the window near his bed. He then fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of the cool breeze blowing through his golden hair.

_If I had known, I would have never slapped you! I've wanted to end this so-called __**'engagement' **__since I accidentally proposed!"_

Yuuri's words echoed in his mind, sending a fresh wave of pain throughout his body. Sure, he and Yuuri argued all of the time, but there was something different about this argument. This time, it really seemed like Yuuri meant what he had said.

'_I'm a fool,_' Wolfram thought, turning onto his side and facing the window, his eyes starting to water, '_To think that the wimp would even love me back…_'

He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to hold them in, but they only leaked out of his closed eyelids, traveling in small rivers down his pale cheeks.

'_Damn you Yuuri…_' Wolfram thought, curling up so he could rest his chin on his knees.

The tears were coming faster now, accompanied by small whimpers of pain. He had known that Yuuri didn't think of him as anything more than a friend, but, Wolfram had hoped that time would make his fiancé see that Wolfram really loved him. He had hoped that one day, Yuuri would return his feelings.

'_Such a stupid, arrogant fool…_'

* * *

Dinner was silent that evening, something that was incredibly rare. Yuuri and Wolfram hadn't even exchanged a single glance, something even more unusual. A gloomy, almost uneasy air had fallen around the table. Even Greta ate quietly, feeling the tension in the air.

Suddenly, Yuuri pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. Everyone at the table turned their attention to him, surprise clearly written on their faces. Yuuri took a deep breath and locked eyes with Wolfram for a fraction of a second before speaking.

"I'm sure you've all heard about our argument this morning," he started. Nobody said anything so he continued, "And…well I've been thinking about all of this a lot…and…" He hesitated again.

Wolfram was on his feet now, "What are you getting at?"

There was impatience and a hint of uneasiness in the blonde's eyes. Yuuri could almost swear Wolfram knew exactly what was coming; he just didn't want to accept it.

The double-black met the blonde's gaze evenly. His mind had been made up.

"I'm breaking off the engagement," he announced.

The surprised masks that everyone had been wearing now broke away, replaced by expressions of shock. Wolfram, however, looked the most shocked out of the group. His emerald eyes had almost doubled in size.

"Breaking off the engagement?" He echoed, surprise easily detected in his voice.

"Just think about it, Wolfram," Yuuri tried to explain, "We fight all of the time! The engagement was an accident anyway. This way, we can both be happy."

Wolfram slammed his hands on the table, "If you had felt this way all this time, why didn't you tell me sooner instead of leading me around on false beliefs?!"

"False beliefs? I've never even hinted toward ever liking you more than a friend! Your so-called 'false beliefs' were only figments of your imagination!"

Wolfram bit his lip, his eyes blazing with anger, "So this entire time, I've been nothing but a joke to you." It was a statement, not a question.

Yuuri looked exasperated now, "No! Wolf, you're my _friend_! But being friends with someone and being in love with someone are two completely different situations!"

Wolfram stepped back from the table, "Fine! You know what, I don't care anymore! You said it yourself, it's OVER!"

Yuuri opened his mouth to reply but Wolfram stormed out of the room before he could utter a single word.

* * *

Wolfram felt as if the sun had just set in his world for the last time, never to rise again. Never to bathe him in warm, golden light. Never again to drive away the darkness in his heart. Yuuri was his sun. And now he was gone, out of his life. Wolfram's heart and soul were plunged into eternal darkness, perhaps never to resurface again. (A/N: Ok…yeah, that was incredibly weird…sorry about that….)

He was standing in his room again, his back to his door. Wolfram closed his eyes, his heart aching. He had to let him go; for Yuuri's happiness, and for his own sanity.

He smashed his fist into his wall, his teeth digging into his bottom lip, blood beginning to seep out of the corner of his mouth.

"Damn it!"

* * *

The dining hall was deathly quiet now. Everyone was staring at Yuuri.

"Well…ah…that could have gone smoother…" He said, laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll go talk to him," Cecilie said, standing up and putting on a smile. When she turned around, however, Yuuri saw her smile disappear, replaced by a distressed look.

"I'll come too!" Greta announced, jumping up from her seat and joining the beautiful, blonde woman.

Gwendal stood up too, "I have some paperwork to do," he muttered, excusing himself and leaving.

Even Gunter left, bowing his head to Yuuri and muttering an apology before chasing after Gwendal.

Now Yuuri was left with only Conrad. His godfather was giving him a long, calculating look.

"What?" the double-black asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Conrad shook his head, "I know you're probably still angry. However, I think you should apologize to Wolfram the next time you have a chance. I think you really hurt his feelings this time."

"It's his own fault for giving himself false hope!" Yuuri protested, frowning.

Conrad was standing now, "Yes that may be true. But, you should still apologize if you want to at least remain friends with him."

Yuuri sighed, "I guess you're right. I'll apologize tomorrow."

"Now, if you would excuse me, I have to ask Gwendal something."

With that, Conrad left Yuuri alone to his thoughts.

* * *

--Present--

There was a loud clanging sound followed by heavy footsteps. Wolfram remained motionless. Not long ago, he would have struggled against his chains, glaring and spitting curses at his captors. Now, however, he didn't have enough energy to even lift his head. What was the point anyway? The more he struggled, the more they beat him. It was better to save himself from at least _some_ pain.

He winced as his wrists were released from their metal bindings. He was dragged roughly across the room before being thrown to the ground. He landed in a heap and didn't even try to move from that position.

The first bucket of cold water made him cry out. Chills ran throughout his body and he started shivering violently. The rags that were once his uniform offered no protection from the icy liquid and by the second bucket, he was completely soaked. He curled up, trying to save whatever body heat he had left.

This was a different kind of pain. Wolfram's body was weak and the days were growing colder as winter approached. He was very prone to sickness and, in a small part of his mind, he knew that that was his captor's intentions.

However, it seemed that his captors weren't finished with him, not yet. Wolfram tried to keep from crying out as he received a hard kick in his side. However, much to his dismay, gasp of pain escaped his lips as he felt his already bruised ribs crack. He coughed painfully, seeing his blood splatter on the hard ground.

'_Damn_,' he thought bitterly, '_That one might have punctured something…_'

He spat up another mouthful of blood before letting his head rest against the ground. His limbs felt like lead and a seemingly long-forgotten pain arose from his stomach. Wincing, he tried to remember the last time he had eaten.

"Looks like we're done for today," he heard one of the men say.

The other man grunted in agreement before addressing the blonde, "But we'll be back tomorrow, don't worry."

Wolfram gritted his teeth at the man's teasing voice. God how he would love to slit their throats right about now…

He closed his eyes after he hard the cell door close and darkness consumed him once again.

**

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****A/N**: Ok, sorry this took so long!! I wrote at least five different versions of this chapter before finally settling on this one because it fit more with the story line. Also, sorry it still isn't that long! Once I get a bit farther along the story line, the chapters will get longer and much more frequent. I'm going to try to update every week from now on. Well, thank you for reading, please, please, please review! It would give me so much motivation to continue!!


	3. Missing

**A/N: **I am soooo sorry for the late update! I graduated last week was was getting ready for that and then, afterwards, my dad took me on a fishing trip and I didn't have time to finish this chapter before I left! He's also taking me to Montana to visit some family friends in a few days and I'll be gone for a little over a week. So, I'll try to post chapter 4 when I get back! Thank you for being so patient, I hope this chapter turned out ok, I feel like it was a bit rushed... :(

**A HUGE THANKS TO: **Square-Enix Fan, rueLf94, eclst, pikeebo, Poison's Beauty, Eveliina92, florrey, lazy fat kitsune, and Mizuki Hikari for all of your wonderful reviews! They really inspired me to continue, thank you so much!

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Second Chances

Chapter 3: Missing

There was a loud pounding at his door. Wolfram opened one slightly bloodshot emerald eye. He sat up and noticed that the sky outside was dark. What could anyone want at this hour? He dragged himself to his door, rubbing his eyes, and opened it, surprised to see Gwendal and one of his own soldiers, Kaori, standing there. (**A/N:** I don't know if any of Wolfram's soldiers have been introduced by name…so I just picked the name Kaori because it means something along the lines of a man's strength. XD)

"What do you want?" Wolfram asked, trying and failing to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Kaori bowed, "Forgive us for waking you up so late, Wolfram-kaka. A problem as come to our attention and needs to be immediately dealt with." (**A/N:** kaka: Your Excellency)

Wolfram yawned, "What's the problem then?"

"The humans are getting restless," Gwendal explained, "It's common knowledge that they seek war with us. If it wasn't for Yuuri-heika…"

He left his sentence hanging. Wolfram picked up on it immediately and nodded to show he understood.

"I want you to take some troops and patrol the borders closest to the humans," Gwendal continued, "Just to make sure that they are staying where they should be. However, don't put yourself at any unnecessary risk, you'll be there to observe, not engage in battle. Do you understand?"

Wolfram nodded again, his mind still clouded with sleep, "Do I have to leave now?"

"Yes, as soon as possible."

The blonde yawned again, "Alright. Kaori, I'll meet you outside in a few minutes. Gather a few others and we'll leave once everyone is ready."

"Yes sir!" The young soldier ran off, clearly anxious to begin.

Wolfram was about to retreat back into his room to get ready when Gwendal stopped him.

"Wolfram, don't do anything reckless," he warned, a very serious look on his face, "I know that your recent breakup with Yuuri-heika hasn't left you in a healthy mood, but you must remain focused. If you get to close to the humans, the outcome cannot possibly be good."

Wolfram winced at the mention of the breakup. It had only been three days and it was still very fresh in his mind. Gwendal seemed to notice the shadow that passed over Wolfram's face at his words and immediately let it drop, knowing that it was a tender subject.

"I'll be careful," Wolfram finally spoke, reassuring his older brother.

With that, he closed the door and quickly changed out of his night clothes. Gone was the frilly pink nightgown he once wore. He had no reason for it. The main purpose of it was to get Yuuri's attention. Wolfram could have puked at how ridiculous that was.

Trying to keep thoughts of Yuuri out of his mind, he finished pulling on his uniform and left his room. When he reached the front of the castle, he found six men waiting for him. The blonde mounted his horse and waited for the men to assemble behind him.

"Alright," he ordered, spurring his horse into motion, "Let's go!"

"Hai!" the group chorused, following after him.

Yuuri looked gloomily down at his breakfast, the events of the past couple of days re-running over and over again in his head.

**--Flashback--**

"_Wolfram? Wolfram, open the door! Wolfram!" Yuuri shouted, pounding on the wooden door in front of him for the second time in the past two days._

_Only silence met his words._

_He gritted his teeth and began knocking again, "Come on Wolfram! It's been two days; I need to talk to you!"_

_Still silence._

_Yuuri sighed and walked away, deciding it was pointless and knowing that if he ordered Wolfram to come out of his room, it would ruin whatever chance he had to regain the blonde's friendship._

**--End Flashback--**

He hadn't talked to the blonde prince since the breakup. In fact, he hadn't even seen him! Wolfram hadn't attended any meals or meetings, and now, Yuuri was beginning to get worried. Finally deciding he had lost his appetite, he excused himself from the table.

As he was heading back towards his room, he spotted Conrad walking a few meters in front of him.

"Conrad!" he called, running to catch up with his godfather.

The young man stopped and faced Yuuri, slightly surprised, "Yes, Heika?"

Yuuri frowned, "How many times do I have to tell you?! Call me Yuuri!"

Conrad only smiled, "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, right, have you seen Wolfram anywhere?"

A shadow crossed Conrad's face as he answered, "He is patrolling the borders by the human's territory."

"When will he be back?"

"I can't say for sure, but I would guess soon."

Yuuri tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, "Oh, ok."

Conrad wasn't fooled, "Is there something bothering you, Heika?"

"Eh? No! I just haven't seen him in three days, that's all," Yuuri explained quickly.

"Ok," Conrad said, a knowing look in his eyes.

They were both silent for a minute before Conrad spoke again, "You know, Heika, I think Gwendal would greatly appreciate it if you did some of your paperwork."

Yuuri winced at this; he hated paperwork and had been trying to avoid it for the past couple of days. Though, that hadn't been hard seeing as Gwendal was ignoring him.

"Can't Gwendal do it?" he asked, trying to keep the pleading tone out of his voice.

Conrad shook his head, "No, he's very busy right now. Look at it this way, it'll keep your mind off of things and Gwendal won't be as…upset with you."

Yuuri hung his head, there was no way out of this, "Alright," he agreed, "I'll see you later than."

Conrad nodded as he watched the double-black run off.

* * *

Yuuri groaned and slumped in his chair, closing his eyes and letting his writing hand rest. He cracked one eye open to check the time. 12:30. He had been doing paperwork for four and a half hours. His writing hand was throbbing and his eyes were burning. However, despite all of that, he felt better. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Conrad had been right. Focusing his mind only on his paperwork had made all of his thoughts of Wolfram completely disintegrate.

He sat up again and eyed the considerably shorter stack of paper. Deciding he had done enough for today, he stood, stretched his stiff muscles, and left the office, wearing a content smile on his face. This smile grew as he spotted Greta.

"Hey Greta!" he called, walking up to her, "Are you finished with your work?"

She nodded.

He grinned now, "Well, seeing as I nearly finished my paperwork," he ignored the look of utter surprise on Greta's face, "do you want to eat lunch with me?"

She giggled, "Ok!"

When they arrived in the dining hall, they were both surprised to see Conrad, Gwendal, and Gunter already eating.

"Ah, Heika," Conrad greeted him, "Join us, we just started."

Yuuri and Greta took their seats at the table.

"And where were _you_ all day?" Gwendal asked, eying Yuuri coldly.

The double black flinched and fought the urge to cower under the older man's glare, "I was…um…doing paperwork…" he replied honestly.

Gunter and Gwendal looked utterly surprised while Conrad smiled warmly.

Yuuri frowned at this, "Why does everyone act so surprised?!"

Greta's laugh was his only answer. The maids soon appeared, bearing platters of food. They set them down in the center of the table and dished out generous portions onto Yuuri's and Greta's plates. They then bowed and left.

Yuuri, Greta, Conrad, Gwendal, and Gunter sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the food. Outside, a horse was heard. The group perked up at the sound.

"It sounds like Wolfram and his troops are back," Conrad commented.

Yuuri's stomach was tying itself into nervous knots. He needed to talk to the blonde bishōnen (**A/N:** bishōnen: beautiful boy. This is what Yuuri calls Wolfram when he first sees him).

The commotion outside became louder. Yuuri thought he faintly heard someone shouting as the doors were thrown open.

Gwendal, Conrad, and Gunter were on their feet instantly. Yuuri's eyes widened as a soldier clad in blue stumbled in. He was bleeding profusely from a deep wound in his shoulder, his blood dripping to the floor and staining his uniform crimson. Exhaustion and pain were clearly written on the young man's face and he struggled to remain on his feet.

Gwendal gasped and his eyes shone with recognition, "Kaori! What happened?!"

Kaori took a few deep breaths to calm himself, "Gwendal-sama, Wolfram-kaka…he was…he was kidnapped!"

Before anyone could say anything, the young soldier's eyes rolled back and he passed out.

**

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**A/N:**

Slight cliffhanger! lol, well I hope you liked it! Sorry again that it wasn't that long. Now that I'm getting farther along the storyline, I'll start writing longer chapters, I promise And sorry if some of the characters seem kind of OOC, I've only watched about 10 or so episodes of Kyou Kara Maou (not really in order) and read about 50 fanfictions so I'm still "getting to know the characters". lol So, please review and tell me if they're acting in character. If they're not, please, please, please tell me what I have to do to correct it! Thank you! 


	4. Pain

****

A/N:

I am soooo sorry for the late update!! T-T I got back three days ago from the trip to find that my mom screwed up the internet at my house! O.o she's so clueless when it comes to computers... -- So, the internet is finally working now so I was able to post this

I got a review about how confusing the plotline of this story is. Let me see if I can clear it up for you. Basically, in the present, Wolfram has been caught and is being tortured. So those scenes are what's going on in the present. The rest of the story (the argument, the kidnapping, etc) are kind of like flashbacks in the third person. I would have made them flashbacks in Wolf's POV but then you wouldn't be able to hear Yuuri's thoughts and get his take on the whole thing. So, I hope that helps. If you have any more questions concerning the plotline, ask me via review or message me and I'll be happy to answer your question the best I can

Also, I'm going to be at a summer camp in New York (I live in Florida XD) for three weeks. I leave on the 11th of July and should be back on August 3rd (I think...) So, unless I can update again in the next few days, you're going to have to wait for a bit for the next chapter. I'll probably bring my laptop with me though, so I should be able to finish a few chapters to post when I get back.

Oh, and, on a lighter note, it's my birthday tomorrow (7/9)!! XD Horray!! lol, ok, random outburt over, I'll let you start reading now :3

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**Second Chances**

Chapter 4: Pain

Wolfram liked darkness. To him, it meant no pain, no hunger, no suffering. It allowed him to immerse himself in memories, chosen at random, yet mostly about Yuuri.

'_No,'_ a voice called out from the very corners of his mind, '_I will not taint my memories of my fiancé by thinking about him in this evil place.'_

Wolfram winced at the word fiancé.

'_I screwed up._' He reminded himself bitterly, '_Yuuri is no longer my fiancé. And I'm sure he is much happier now because of it. I bet he already has a new fiancé, a beautiful, young woman who nearly faints every time she sees him. I bet they're already making wedding arrangements. I am probably long forgotten.'_

'_You can't be sure of that!'_ the voice protested, '_You can't have been here longer than a few days! Yuuri would not give up that quickly.'_

'_Because he is a good person.'_

'_Because you are his friend!'_

'_He hates me.'_

'_That was never confirmed.'_

'_There's no need for conformation!' _Wolfram was getting irritated now, '_You saw the look in his eyes!'_

In a small part of his mind, Wolfram knew he was slightly delusional. Talking, no, _thinking_, to himself? Had he been sane, he would have scoffed at the very idea. He, Wolfram von Bielefeld, proud Mazako of Shin Makoku having a mental conversation with himself. It was absurd.

Was he even conscious? Wolfram debated this in his mind, trying to focus through the thick fog that clouded his senses. He felt no pain, and his stomach was not making itself known. His clothes, which he guessed were still damp from the icy water, were not sending chills running throughout his body as they had during his last seconds of consciousness. In fact, it almost felt like he wasn't wearing clothes at all, a thought that was beginning to deeply disturb him.

However, despite all of that, he was vaguely aware of his surroundings. The cell was quiet, from what he could tell, broken occasionally by the soft sound of footsteps. He guessed that his captors would have stationed a guard outside of his cell. A very faint breeze tickled his cheeks and blew softly through his blood-stained and matted hair. But where was the pain?

Not wanting to sink farther into the dark depths of insanity, Wolfram struggled to awaken. Finally, he managed to open his eyes, squinting them in the dim yet seemingly bright light that illuminated his cell. It was then that the pain hit him. He bit his lip, hard, to stop himself from screaming. His entire body felt like it was burning, his right shoulder an unholy mass of fire. The numerous cuts and gashes covering his body were reminding him that they were there. His stomach, deciding to join in, roared with hunger, giving Wolfram the feeling of something clawing at his insides. Biting harder on his lip and sending blood 

dribbling down his chin, he tried to sit up. This time, a scream escaped from his lips as pain stabbed him all along his right side. Gasping for breath, he let his body lie limp.

'_Damn,'_ he thought, '_it feels like I've broken a couple of ribs. And I can't even remember the last time I've eaten. Not to mention this damn shoulder wound is probably infected and isn't going to heal any time soon. Fucking humans! (1) If the area wasn't COVERED in Houryoku, they would all be dead!_'

Taking a few deep breaths to control his raging temper, he tried to think happier thoughts, '_At least the pain drove away the fog in my mind. I'm not insane.'_

He couldn't help but let out a dry laugh, jarring his ribs in the process. If he had a choice, he would have chosen insanity over the pain any day.

He shifted very slightly, trying to raise his head. It was then that he realized he was completely naked. Wolfram's eyes widened with horror. Fear gripped him as he realized that in the process of removing his clothes, his captors could have done anything to him in his unconscious state. He suddenly felt as if someone had removed all of the air in his lungs. He chocked as his body seemingly forgot how to breathe. His eyes began to water. He would have never expected this and it scared him. Finally, he managed to snap out of it and filled his screaming lungs with life-giving oxygen.

' _What's done is done_,' he told himself, breathing heavily, '_I can't dwell on this, it will only make things worse. And, I'm not positive that they actually did anything. Yes, it's possible that they just removed my clothes to humiliate me. That has to be it!'_

Hope flared in his chest for half a second. He pushed the troubled thoughts out of his mind, he didn't want to think about it.

His guard seemed to have realized that Wolfram was awake for he disappeared for a minute and returned with two more people. Wolfram closed his eyes, listening to their footsteps. The guard's were slightly familiar, quiet yet confident. The person to his right had loud, heavy footsteps. Wolfram guessed he was either rather large, or cocky for not trying to hide the sound. The person to the left of the guard walked so quietly, it took Wolfram a minute to realize he was there.

'_Three people now,'_ Wolfram thought, '_This can't be good…_'

"Hey, you!" One of the humans called through the bars, "You awake now?"

"No," Wolfram snapped back, sarcasm dripping from his words and opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. He was surprised yet pleased that he was able to talk. His voice was rough and raspy from lack of use but he was able to speak! "I just laugh in my sleep sometimes. One of my old habits."

'_Idiots…_'

There was a loud clanging sound followed by a long creak. Wolfram was roughly jerked to his feet by one of the humans. A yelp escaped through his clenched teeth. He was in no condition to be standing. Pain lanced through his knees as his legs buckled beneath him, unable to support his weight. The human growled under his breath and let the blonde fall. He then leaned down and grabbed Wolfram's right arm and began dragging him out of his cell.

Wolfram cried out as the movement nearly pulled his wounded shoulder out of the socket. He wanted to struggle with every fiber of his being, but the pain was almost overwhelming and he had barely any 

strength left in his frail body from lack of food. So, reluctantly and painfully, he let the man drag him into a different room.

There, he was thrown onto a wooden table. He hissed as the wood scraped against his bare back. Before he had the chance to even attempt to struggle, his arms and legs were locked into place. The table was at an angle so he was almost vertical. His ankles were firmly attached to the table while his hands were bound to a bar that shifted slightly when he moved. Wolfram almost gasped in horror as the name of the table crossed his mind.

'_It's a…it's a rack…_'He thought, feeling fear grip him with her icy fingers. He had seen a rack used before when he was younger. It was not a pretty sight and Wolfram didn't even want to imagine the pain he was about to experience.

'_Dear Shinou! Help me!' _Wolfram pleaded mentally.

A clicking sound reached Wolfram's ears. The bar that his hands were bound too moved upwards, stretching out his body. He grunted as the movement sent fresh waves of pain up and down his injured side and shoulder. The clicking continued as the bar moved farther and farther away from his body. The blonde closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He would not scream, he would not cry, he would not beg for mercy.

However, his determination was quickly shattered as the bar moved far enough away to pull his shoulders out of their sockets. He screamed in pain as the deep wound on his shoulder was reopened. Blood poured out of the gash, coating the entire right side of his body in the warm, sticky fluid. He heard it hit the floor with a quiet splash, forming a pool of crimson beneath him. And still the bar moved, snapping his ribs and ripping apart the muscles in his arms. He could hear bones breaking, joints dislocating, and more blood entering the growing pool on the floor.

He couldn't stop screaming now, no matter how hard he tried. The pain was overbearing and, in a small part of his mind, Wolfram wondered why he was still conscious. The pain should have been enough to send him back into the darkness. He would have given a foot at this point just to sink back into the black oblivion. However, unconsciousness refused to claim him.

Finally, after what felt like years for Wolfram, the bar stopped moving. The once-proud Mazako did not even attempt to move. He wouldn't have been able to even if he tried, his body was still stretched to its limits. The man standing beside him turned to the other humans. The three of them exchanged a smirk and began to undress.

Wolfram knew what was coming and he felt his breath hitch in his throat. But he was in too much pain to struggle. He could do nothing but lay there and bear it, tears forming in his eyes.

'_Yuuri…_'

**

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**

A/N:

Awwww poor Wolfie!! I'm sorry!! -huggles Wolfram plushie- T-T

Well, there you go! Now you get to see how twisted my mind is huh? lol This is my first time ever writing something this dark, I hope I'm doing ok...

**(1)**: I havn't seen or heard Wolfie go any farther than saying 'Damn'. However, I put myself in his shoes for a second and wrote down what I would think of my captors. And that's what came out. So sorry if it seems kind of out of character... -shrugs-


	5. Moving Out

**A/N:** Wow, I've actually been able to post the next chapter! Yay! lol But, for some reason I'm not really happy with this one, it seems boring... :( So...sorry if it is...I honestly don't know where I was going with this chapter, it just kinda wrote itself O.o Does that make sence or am I blurting out nonsense again??

And I wasn't really planning on writing this so soon! It was actually my cat who inspired me to continue O.o I was reading some other FanFics and she jumped up onto my desk and sat on my keyboard. And, miraculously, she managed to press a button that opened up this story! I seriously think I was on something, that was just wayyy to wierd! lol

Also, funny story about this, my mom came in while I was writing the chapter and read a bit of it over my shoulder. She said, "Kristin, are you writing about two guys?" And I decided not to lie and said, "Um...yeah, kind of." Then, out of NOWHERE she let out this fangirl squeal and hugged me saying that "That's so cute!!" Gosh, I have the wierdest mom! O.o lol

* * *

Second Chances

Chapter 5: Moving Out

"How is he?" Gwendal asked, entering the room.

Yuuri, Conrad, and Gunter looked up. It had been a few hours since Kaori had returned with the disturbing news. He had still not woken. Gisela hovered over him, checking the bandages on his wounded shoulder, her impatience beginning to show. According to her, he should have been awake over an hour ago.

Gisela sighed after a few silent minutes and straightened up, "His shoulder was badly wounded and he won't be able to use it properly for a few weeks, but he mostly passed out due to shock. Had this been a normal incident, he would have remained conscious. I've healed the wound the best I can, all we can do now is wait."

Gwendal closed the door behind him and leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. It looked like he was deep in thought.

Yuuri squirmed slightly in his seat. Every minute that passed delayed Wolfram's rescue. Yuuri had no idea if the blonde was injured, being tortured, or even…dead.

Yuuri flinched at this, '_Dead? It's…possible…but, I can't…I can't let myself think like that! Of course Wolfram's alive! He's too stubborn to die!'_ Yuuri couldn't help but laugh slightly at this. Yes, there was no way the proud Wolfram von Bielefeld was dead! He was alive somewhere, Yuuri just had to find him.

The double black shook his head, hope soaring in his chest. He glanced at his godfather next to him. Conrad was giving him a strange look.

A soft groan caught everyone's attention.

"He's waking up!" Gunter exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Conrad and Yuuri were already standing.

Kaori opened his eyes and blinked slowly, looking slightly dazed. Then, as if reality had suddenly crashed down on him, he sat up, his eyes wide.

"Wolfram-kaka!" he gasped, searching the room frantically, as if expecting the blonde to be there.

"Kaori," Gisela put a soft, comforting hand on his uninjured shoulder.

The young soldier's shoulders drooped as he realized Wolfram wasn't there.

"You need to tell us what happened. Do you remember?"

He turned to face Gisela, as if noticing her for the first time. Quietly, he nodded, his eyes shining with distress.

"We have to know, Kaori," Gisela urged him.

Kaori looked down at his lap, "We were on our way back to the castle…"

**--Flashback--**

Kaori sighed and looked up at the cloudless sky. This was his first patrol, and so far, everything had gone smoothly. This was easy! He focused his attention back to where he was going.

Wolfram suddenly stopped, causing the entire group to slow their horses. The blonde turned his horse around and said, "We'll stop here for a short break. The castle is still a few hours of traveling away."

Everyone dismounted, tied up their horses, and sat in one large group, drinking out of their water canteens and relaxing in the cool shade. Kaori sighed and lay down, folding his arms under his head. The day was just to perfect for anything to go wrong.

Suddenly, Wolfram tensed, his hand flying to the handle of his sword. Kaori sat up just in time to see the blonde block a sword aimed at the back of his neck. He threw the man away from him and was on his feet in a flash.

There was a scream as the soldier across from Kaori received a deep wound across his back. The attacker faded back into the shadows before Kaori could get a good look at him.

"Everyone! Draw your swords, we've been ambushed!" Wolfram shouted, scanning the area for their enemies.

Kaori pulled his sword out of its sheath just as a figure erupted from the bushes behind him. The young soldier blocked the attack, finding himself almost face-to-face with his assailant.

"Humans!" He gasped out, loud enough for the other the soldiers to hear him.

Gritting his teeth, he threw his weight against the man and managed to push him away. Not giving the human a chance to recover his balance, Kaori sliced at him. The man's reflexes were surprisingly quick and he managed to avoid the blade, only receiving a shallow scratch across his stomach. Kaori pressed forward, slashing furiously. The sound of metal meeting metal rang through his ears as the man blocked his attacks. Finally, Kaori found his opening and managed to sink his sword into the chest of the human. He pulled his sword out and turned around to face the next enemy.

All around the clearing, swords clashed. Already, three Mazako soldiers were laying face-down on the ground, blood staining their blue uniforms. Enraged by the sight, Kaori once again jumped into the battle, drawing blood from the human nearest to him. The human howled with pain and spun around to face him. He raised his sword over his head, preparing to split Kaori's skull, but stopped when the Mazako plunged his sword into his exposed stomach.

Kaori backed up as he blocked another incoming attack. He continued to back up as he carefully countered the human's sword strokes. Finally, he surged forward, confusing and throwing the human off balance. He quickly finished the fight, staining his sword crimson. He suddenly found himself fighting back-to-back with Wolfram. They were badly outnumbered and soldiers were dropping like flies all around them.

'_Damn_,' Kaori thought as he finished off another human, '_There are just too many! No matter how many I kill or injure, more just take their place! They must have been planning this for a long time._'

Unfortunately, while thinking this, Kaori lost focus for half a second. And that was enough to earn him a heavy blow to his shoulder. He cried out as the blow knocked him off his feet. Pain seared up and down his arm and blood dripped from the new wound to the dusty floor. The human appeared in front of him, his sword point aimed at Kaori's face.

The soldier closed his eyes and awaited the dark depths of death, '_So…this is it then, huh?'_

"Kaori!" Someone shouted.

'_I'm sorry,_' he thought.

But the pain didn't come. Confused, Kaori opened his eyes. His breath hitched in his throat as the scene in front of him registered in his mind. Wolfram was standing between him and the human, shielding Kaori from his attack. The human's sword had impaled Wolfram through the shoulder.

"Wolfram-kaka!" Kaori gasped.

Wolfram grabbed the human's sword and muttered something under his breath. There was a huge burst of flames that instantly incinerated the human. Wolfram pulled the sword out of his shoulder and threw it to the ground.

"Kaka…" Kaori said, not knowing what to say.

The blonde turned to face him, "You need to get out of here. Grab one of the remaining horses and return to the castle. This is a fight we cannot win."

Kaori's eyes widened and he stood up, "No! I will not leave you here to die!"

Wolfram growled, "We don't have time for this, get going!"

"NO!"

Wolfram opened his mouth to snap back but closed it again to focus of fighting the human who was currently attacking him.

Kaori turned on the human to his right, slicing his sword hand before delivering the killing blow. He found himself back-to-back with Wolfram again, surrounded on all sides by humans.

He felt Wolfram sigh.

"Kaori," he said quietly, "I'm sorry. And…tell Yuuri that I'm sorry too…"

"What are you-?" Kaori started but was cut off as Wolfram whirled around and punched him, throwing him across the clearing and into a tree.

Kaori fell to the ground, landing on his stomach. His mind was spinning with confusion and he quickly found that he couldn't move.

'_Why did he…?!_' Then it hit him. Wolfram had just saved his life. The humans would not bother with a wounded, seemingly-unconscious Mazako.

Kaori could only watch helplessly as the humans slashed at the blonde. Blood stained the ground crimson as Wolfram received numerous gashes. Even as furiously as he fought, there were simply too many humans.

Kaori wanted to call out to him, to get up, to help him, but his body was frozen.

One of the humans snapped something that Kaori couldn't hear. The rest of the men backed up, stopping their attack.

"We want him alive," Kaori heard the man say.

The same man then took the blunt edge of his sword and brought it down on Wolfram's head. The blonde's knees buckled as he fell unconscious. The man then picked him up and began to carry him off.

'_WOLFRAM-KAKA!!_' Kaori screamed mentally because he couldn't move his jaw. That was the last thing he saw before he too sank into unconsciousness.

**--End Flashback--**

The room was very quiet when Kaori finished his story.

"When I woke up, I took one of the horses and rode back here as fast as I could," he explained, distress heavy in his voice, "There was nothing I could do…"

Gisela squeezed his uninjured shoulder to show her sympathy.

"So, he is injured," Gwendal spoke, his eyes brows knitted together in thought.

Kaori nodded.

Yuuri's stomach was twisting itself into knots. This was bad, very bad. Sure, Wolfram had been kidnapped before and always managed to get away. But from what Yuuri heard from Kaori's story, Wolfram was seriously injured. And the fact that Wolfram himself wasn't expecting to live made the entire situation so much worse. Wolfram was always confident on the borderline of cocky. For _him_ to give up hope was…unheard of.

"Gunter," Gwendal ordered, "Round up all of the troops he have. We will set out after Wolfram immediately."

Gunter nodded and made his way to the door. As he passed Yuuri, he stopped and grinned, "Don't worry Heika! We will get Wolfram back for sure!"

"Um…thank you Gunter," Yuuri said, not knowing exactly what to say, "I'm sure we will." He was pleased by how well he was able to hide his fear and uncertainty.

Yuuri turned to Kaori, trying to keep his voice steady, "Where were you when this happened?"

"I don't know exactly," the soldier confessed, "But I may be able to lead you there."

"You'll come with us then?"

"Of course!"

"Wait just a second!" Gisela protested, "You were badly injured in the fight. I don't think you're ready for something like this."

"Gisela…please, we have to get him back," the words were out of his mouth before Yuuri could think them over.

Surprise crossed Gisela's face but it was quickly replaced by a knowing smile. She sighed, "Alright then, he can go with you. Don't put too much strain on your shoulder though."

"Thank you Gisela," Yuuri said. Then he addressed Kaori, "Will you be ready to leave once the troops are ready?"

"Yes, Yuuri-heika," Kaori promised.

"Ok, I'll be back soon," Yuuri said, walking to the door and not offering an explanation.

Once he was out of the room, Yuuri backed up against the wall and slid to the floor, burying his head in his arms.

'_This is all my fault! If Wolfram hadn't been so upset over the stupid argument, his judgment would have probably been better. He wouldn't have given up so easily! And now, he's hurt somewhere, in the hands of humans! We have to get him back! _I_ have to get him back!! I can't…I can't imagine life here without him…_'

Yuuri started at this. Since when did he care so deeply about the blonde? Sure, Yuuri considered him his best friend, but not being able to live without him? Not long ago, he was almost wishing that the blonde was out of his life! Was there something more there? Something he hadn't noticed before?

"Heika," a familiar voice sounded beside him, "The troops are ready. We should leave."

Startled, Yuuri jumped to his feet, "Ah! Um…ok, I'm ready. Thank you Conrad."

Conrad smiled warmly, though sadness was swimming in his dark eyes, "Don't worry Heika, Gunter is right, we will bring him back."

Yuuri smiled slightly, "I sure hope so…"

Conrad's smile grew somewhat but he didn't say another word as he and Yuuri made their way outside of the castle. Outside, at least a dozen blue clad soldiers were waiting. Ao was already saddled and ready for Yuuri.

"Ok, Kaori, you take the lead," Gwendal ordered as Yuuri mounted his horse, "Once we get to that location, we will split up into three groups and scout the area. Understood?"

"Hai!" the group of soldiers chorused back.

"Let's get going then," Gwendal continued, turning his horse around and nodding to Kaori.

The injured soldier took his place at the front of the group and spurred his horse into motion. The rest followed.

"Wolfram…" Yuuri whispered, his eyes glued to the golden sunset before him, "I _will_ save you. Even if it's the last thing I do."

**

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**

**A/N:**

Well, a HUGE thank you to everyone who's still reading this story! I really hope you like it so far! And I promise that it will start looking better once I'm not squeezing in time to write. And, again sorry this chapter's not terrific, I really don't know why it didn't turn out the way I planned it too...Hmmm...maybe because it's Tuesday...gosh I'm wierd, lol XD

At this rate, I may actually be able to post one more chapter before I'm off to camp, we'll see Please review! Your reviews are what're keeping me writing! ;)


	6. Rescue

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry I'm posting this a day (actually two days-it's 12 am where I am :P) later than I said I would. I got back late last night and was pretty busy so I didn't have time to log on, sorry :( Anyway, as you should have noticed, I deleted the Author's Note I posted while at camp. I couldn't just leave the Author's Note there! Like DemonUntilDeath said, having the Author's Note posted in the middle of the story really disrupts the flow of it, so I took it out :3

As for Wolfram's fate...you're just going to have to read to find out :) Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Enjoy the final few chapters of Second Chances!

* * *

**Second Chances**

Chapter 6: Rescue

It was nightfall when they arrived at the clearing where the ambush had taken place. After hearing Kaori's story, Yuuri had half expected it to still be littered with bodies, debris, and blood. Instead, apart from bloodstains scattered here and there, the clearing was completely empty.

"The humans came back," a soldier spoke up.

"Of course," Kaori growled, "They had to dispose of the bodies." Pain and bitterness were fresh in the young soldier's eyes.

"They didn't think there were any survivors, remember?" Conrad broke in, "So, they probably guessed that we would have no leads as to their whereabouts. If they had left the bodies here, it would be much easier for us to find them. Especially in their present situation. Kaori, how long would you say you were unconscious?"

"A few hours…" He admitted, "The sun had moved pretty far across the sky, but I have no idea exactly how long it had been."

"So, in total, that would add to about a day since Wolfram's capture. The humans could not have gone far. They figured that by disposing the bodies, we would be unable to track them down. And, even if we had found a way, it would take a large amount of time. By then, Wolfram would be long dead."

"But we still have no idea where they went!" Another soldier protested.

"But we know where to start," Gisela contradicted him. She had come along just in case. It was still unknown what Wolfram's condition was. She had also insisted on going to make sure Kaori didn't overexert himself.

"Wait," Yuuri started. His mind had been blank since the conversation began and the wheels were finally beginning to turn, "Is it possible that they have a base nearby?"

Gwendal turned to him, his dark eyes glittering with an unreadable emotion, "What makes you say that?"

The entire group fell silent, making Yuuri slightly nervous. He swallowed before continuing, "Well, it seems like it was a really well planned ambush. So, the humans must have been watching patrol patterns for awhile, to determine the amount of humans they would need, and how strong the patrol would be. Wouldn't it make sense for them to have base near here? That way, they knew the area pretty well, could keep a close eye on patrols, fall back quickly and safely if the need arose, and easily take prisoners…" he paused at this, struggling to continue, "for…immediate…interrogation…and such…"

Silence met his words. Fidgeting slightly Yuuri defended himself, "What? I just thought…" (1)

"Yuuri-heika…when did you…" Kaori was gaping at him.

Conrad just stared, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted, shock written across his face. Gisela looked like she was battling between feeling surprised or pleased. And Gwendal…Gwendal was _smiling_.

"He's right," Gwendal finally broke the silence.

Shocked faces were all that greeted him.

"Why does everyone look so surprised?" Yuuri snapped, frowning.

"It's just…you've never said something so…smart," Kaori blurted, earning himself a punch from Gisela.

"I don't think it's that," Conrad recovered quickly, "You just normally aren't so serious."

"This makes our job much easier," Gwendal took control again, "I want you to split yourselves into three groups of four. Conrad will lead one group, Kaori will lead another, and I will lead the last group. Scout the area but don't stray too far. Remember that we're right on the border of the humans' territory. If any of you find anything, report back here immediately. Gisela will be waiting. Whether you find something or not, return here in exactly half an hour. If we find nothing, we will combine into one group and explore farther into the humans' territory."

Without another word, the soldiers began grouping together.

"Heika, why don't you come with me?" Conrad suggested.

"Ok," Yuuri agreed.

"Alright everybody!" Kaori shouted, addressing his newly formed group, "Let's find Wolfram-kaka!"

"Hai!" The soldiers chorused back.

Yuuri felt his stomach give a painful jolt. Of course, he had not forgotten the gravity of the situation—how could he?—but, while he had been focusing on how to rescue Wolfram, he didn't think in depth about Wolfram himself. Sure, it had only been about one day; however, Yuuri couldn't get rid of the feeling in his gut that something was horribly wrong. This wasn't like the countless of other times Wolfram had gotten kidnapped. This time, it was already confirmed that he was injured, and his captors really seemed to mean business. Hell, they had taken out an entire patrol save for one person. It didn't look like Wolfram would be able to talk or charm his way out of this one.

The double black shook his head firmly, as if believing he could rid himself of such thoughts by doing so. Since when was he so worried? Wolfram was just his friend, possibly his best friend besides Murata. So, why did it feel like someone was squeezing his heart whenever his name was uttered?

'_I'm just guilty, that's all_,' Yuuri assured himself, '_I feel bad because it's partly my fault that he's in this situation._'

'_Sure, keep thinking that,_' a voice spoke up from the corners of his mind (2), '_That's a complete lie and you know it._'

'_Shut up_.'

"Heika?" Conrad's voice interrupted the young Maou's troubled thoughts.

He started, "Sorry! I'm ready now."

Conrad turned to his group and nodded the wordless command. They set out in a single file line, Yuuri being the only exception. He rode beside Conrad, trying to focus on the task at hand. He was actually finding it very difficult to do so. His heart was twisting painfully in his chest.

This was far from guilt.

* * *

When Wolfram woke up, he found himself unable to move. If he even tried to bend a single finger, the aching pain would erupt and spread through his veins like molten lava. It took a lot of willpower to keep himself from screaming. If he screamed, his captors would know he was awake. And, if they knew he was awake…Wolfram had to keep himself from shuddering from the very thought.

Memories from what could have only been hours ago resurfaced. Tears ran down the blonde's cheeks, and there was nothing he could do to stop them now. He was too weak and in too much pain. A feeling of lightheadedness began to take over, temporarily numbing the pain. He felt too weak to even blink. The lack of food and water was beginning to take its toll on him.

'_I wish…I wish I could just die…_' Wolfram thought, '_Anything…_anything_ is better than this._'

What was there to live for anyway? Yuuri would never love him the way that Wolfram loved him.

'_I've been such a fool…_' he thought, the thin rivers running down his cheeks beginning to thicken. He had been tricked into a false sense of security by the one person he loved more than life itself. It was like he had been reaching for something he wanted with all his heart, feeling his fingertips brush it, only to have it jump even farther from his grasp. Now it was far beyond his line of sight, possibly never to reappear again. He had had his chance and blew it. There was nothing to go back to even if he managed to escape. All was lost.

There was a sense of pride about him as the minutes ticked away. If he kept it up, it was possible that he would be unbothered for at least a few hours. However, he reasoned, if he really believed that death was a much better option—which, at this point, he did—wouldn't it make more sense to alert his guard of his consciousness. What was he waiting for? The longer he delayed, the longer he stayed alive. And the longer he stayed alive, the more pain he would feel. Wouldn't it be better to just end it quickly?

Still, he remained motionless. A part of him was afraid to die. He was in a situation where if he made a wrong decision, he would regret it for eternity. To die was to give in completely, to give up all hope. Being the proud person he was, this seemed unfavorable. But what choice did he have? To live on with the horrible pain in his heart only to possibly be killed anyway? Or to die, with a small chance of being plagued with regret? Either way he looked at it, Wolfram saw himself on the losing end.

His mind was made up. He opened his mouth to say something, to make even the slightest sound to tell his captors that he was awake. But he never got the chance. A loud crashing sound echoed through the area around him, bouncing off of the stone walls of his cell. There were cries and shouts, followed by the sound of clashing swords. All around him, he heard people yelling to each other but was unable to make out their words. He didn't even try to. For, his mind was suddenly distracted by an achingly familiar voice shouting his name.

"Wolfram!"

* * *

**A/N:**

(1) Yuuri had an epiphany! Good for him :)

(2) Has this ever happened to anyone? It happens to me sometimes O.o. My mom says it's my overactive conscious, my brother says I have a split personality (he also says my "other half" has a hunger for human brains O.o Which leads me to firmly take my mom's side. I mean, come on. By the age of 20 you'd think he'd stop making up crap like that…) I think I just need sleep...

Well, sorry it wasn't very long -- I could have put more here seeing as I've already finished this story but I wanted to break it into chapters that ended in cliffhangers (or at least…slight cliffies) And…sorry if it seemed like I was rambling a lot during Wolfram's part…I've been kind of depressed lately due to some relationship issues (he broke up with me at CAMP over the PHONE! D:) and putting some of my own feelings into Wolfram's thoughts and situation made me feel a bit better. Uggg…I also feel like I could have written this better…sorry!


	7. Realizations

**A/N:** Well, here's chapter 7! I think this will be the second to last chapter (unless I make some kind of drastic change in chapter 8 which is unlikely because I'm nearly finished with it) So, I hope you like it!

* * *

**Second Chances**

Chapter 7: Realizations

It hadn't taken long for one of the groups to find something. The humans turned out to be slightly less organized than they were first believed to be. During the process of removing the bodies, they had forgotten to check for blood trails. So, in a sense, their location was revealed by a trail of blood. It was a soldier in Kaori's group that found the crimson path leading into a denser part of the surrounding forest.

The humans' base was not far away, as Yuuri had guessed. It was made of what looked like solid concrete with no windows and one visible entry way that was heavily guarded. Wordlessly, Gwendal ordered the groups to spread out and surround the front half of the base. It was set up so that they would have two waves of soldiers; the first, to distract and try to force their way inside and the second, to back up the first. Gwendal and Kaori would lead the first wave while Conrad and Yuuri led the second.

At another wordless command from Gwendal, the first group charged. Time seemed to stop as the sound of swords clashing filled Yuuri's ears. Unfortunately, the humans easily outnumbered the attacking Mazoku and the second wave had to be called in not long after the battle began. However, despite the difference in numbers, the Mazoku soldiers had something the humans did not. Horses. The humans quickly found that it was much harder to fight an enemy on horseback.

Yuuri wanted to join in the fighting but he was still inexperienced when it came to using a sword. And using Morgif proved to be even more difficult. He tried, nonetheless, but quickly found that he was only getting in the way of the Mazaku soldiers. So, he backed up to the edge of the conflict and focused on helping the people nearest him the best he could and keeping himself safe so the soldiers could fight with lighter consciousness knowing that he was safe.

Though, he did feel slightly pleased with himself after helping a younger-looking soldier chase at least four humans into the surrounding forest. And together with Conrad, he managed to aid the small army in breaking through the humans closest to the entrance. Though it wasn't enough to actually get inside, the helplessness that Yuuri had been feeling when the fight began dissolve slightly.

Finally, the soldiers managed to break through the doors. Without even the slightest hesitation, they rushed inside, attacking anything that moved. The narrow hallway soon forked into two new hallways.

"Kaori, take a handful of soldiers and take the left path, we will continue to the right," Gwendal ordered.

Kaori nodded and summoned a small group of soldiers before taking off in the opposite direction.

"Everybody else, follow me," Gwendal said over his shoulder, spurring his horse into forward motion.

The hallway Yuuri found himself in was long and poorly lit. The place reeked of blood and death, causing Yuuri to wrinkle his nose in disgust. The corridor suddenly opened up into a large, enclosed, circular room. Metal doors were spaced out along the walls. Each door had a small window towards the top that was covered in bars. They had found the prison part of the base.

Suddenly, the miniature army came to a screeching halt. It seemed as if the humans had been expecting them. The cell directly in front of them was even more heavily guarded than the entrance had been. There was a shuffling sound as even more humans appeared from the hallway that the Mazoku had just entered through, blocking their only exit.

A few soldiers broke away from the group and began to engage in battle. Finally, all of the soldiers broke rank and joined them, Conrad and Gwendal included. Yuuri once again backed up and focused on keeping himself safe to ease his comrades' minds. There were a series of battle shouts as Kaori's group forced their way through the entrance, hacking down every human they came across.

"Stop!" A commanding voice shouted above the chaos.

It wasn't so much the tone of voice or the person himself that made everyone freeze, it was thelimp, unmoving form on the ground before him. Smirking, the man leaned down and tangled his fingers in the boy's golden hair, pulling him up to his knees and holding him there. He then drew his sword and held it against his throat, a dangerous gleam in his dark eyes.

"Wolfram!" Yuuri shouted.

The rest of the world and its sounds faded into the background. All Yuuri could focus on was Wolfram.

The blonde prince was dressed in what could only be described as rags, his blue uniform long gone. Black and purple bruises covered nearly every patch of skin that was visible, even on his face. There was a very deep gash in one of his shoulders and numerous cuts along his arms. His once bright golden hair was caked with dirt and blood with still more blood staining his 'clothes'. One eye was cracked open slightly, revealing a dull green orb of pain and hopelessness.

"Any one of you moves, and I slit his throat," the man holding Wolfram threatened.

It was then that something in Yuuri snapped. He felt more hate and rage toward this man than he had ever felt in his entire life. It didn't take long for his emotions to consume him, making his hair grow longer and his eyes to change. Turning him into the Maou. Horrible negative energy emitted from the man, causing even Gwendal to step back.

"How dare you…" The Maou murmured, "How DARE you!"

Huge water dragons appeared, aimed straight at the man holding the blonde prince. Before the human had time to react, he thrown away from his prisoner, one of the dragons beginning to coil around him. The other dragon coiled around Wolfram, acting as a shield.

"He's shielding him?" Kaori asked, surprised, "That's unusual, isn't it?

"This is bad," Conrad addressed Gwendal, "I've never seen Heika so angry. If we don't do something, he won't hesitate to kill that man and all other humans in this room!"

Gwendal shook his head slowly, "You know that there's nothing we can do to stop him. He will carry out his judgment as he sees fit."

Conrad sighed, accepting defeat.

The man cried out as the dragon began to tighten its grip on him. The water above him began formed the word 'Justice' (1).

"It's not in my nature to kill meaninglessly," The Maou spoke again, his voice reverberating throughout the room, "However, you have done something unforgivable! And for that, you will pay with your life!"

"Heika!" Conrad tried protesting. But he stopped after seeing the tears running down Yuuri's cheeks.

The man screamed as the dragon constricted one last time, completely crushing him. When he fell silent, the dragon disappeared, letting the body fall to the ground.

"And the rest of you," The Maou addressed the remaining humans, "Tell your leader that if he ever tries to spill even one drop of Mazoku blood again, I will not be so lenient. Now leave!"

The humans scrabbled towards the exit, pushing past each other in their rush. When they were gone, the Maou disappeared.

Yuuri had to concentrate incredibly hard to remain conscious. He began to pitch forward but stopped himself, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Wolfram was still in danger.

He practically dragged himself to the blonde, exhaustion making his limbs heavy. Gisela was already there, checking his vital signs.

"How is he?" Yuuri rasped, kneeling down next to her.

Gisela seemed worried, "I can't tell you exactly right now, but it doesn't look good. I've stabilized him so he won't be in any immediate danger but it seems like he lost a lot of blood and I have no idea what the extent of his injuries are. Judging by the bruises on his right side, I would say he broke a few ribs. If one of them happened to puncture his lung, he's as good as done for. We need to get him back to the castle immediately so I can take a closer look."

Yuuri nodded numbly. It sounded like things weren't looking very hopeful for his fiancé—well, ex-fiancé. He felt his exhaustion begin to take over but refused to lose consciousness. He was afraid that if he left the blonde's side, he would die, without Yuuri being able to do anything about it. It wasn't guilt that Yuuri had been feeling. No, rather, it was an emotion that had been there all along, an emotion that Yuuri had refused to accept. It was when he saw Wolfram, beaten and barely conscious, when the emotion had revealed itself to him. It was then that he had realized it.

"Please…Wolf," Yuuri whispered, "Please don't die on me. I can't lose you…"

His eyes were beginning to cloud over as exhaustion overtook him.

_Not when I just realized that I love you._

* * *

**A/N:**

(1) Just think back to...was that episode 2?? I'm still watching Kyou Kara Maou so I havn't seen to many of the Maou's tricks...sorry for the originality on that part, I tried looking up some episodes to inspire me but I got confused and turned around so I'm going to just stick to the one thing I kind of know...Once I get farther into the series, I'll be able to write better fics for Yuuri and Wolfram...

Well, my dear readers, you are approaching the end of this story. Only one more chapter to go! I really hope you've liked it so far and I can't thank you enough for continuing to read it! I'm sorry that I seem to have a thing for cheesy chapter endings (they just kind of write themselves, I swear!) And this has been hard to work on lately for some reason O.o I'm in a crazy mood to write some fluff...

**EDIT:** Anyjen brought to my attention a spelling error. I was spelling 'Mazoku' as 'Mazako' D: Sorry about that! And thank you Anyjen for telling me! I've gone back and corrected that, but if anyone else sees any kind of mistakes (spelling, grammer) please let me know! I'm the worst in my class at spelling which is pretty sad because there are some complete IDIOTS in my class -- Hahahaha...


	8. Second Chances

**A/N:  
**Alright then, here you go! Sorry for the late update! I was an idiot and managed to land myself in the hospital again XD I do that a lot...Only, this time, it wasn't my fault! I was hit by a car while I was out biking (it wasn't bad though because the car was already trying to stop. I had to go to the hospital because I hit my head when I fell off my bike...wonderful right?). But I had to spend a day in the hospital and then was kinda out of it for awhile so I couldn't really write...  
Anyway, here's the final chapter of Second Chances! A HUGE thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story! I took all of your suggestions to heart, followed some of your advice, and hopefully wrote an ending that everyone will like. And...well, if you don't like it...you're going to kind of have to deal with it...sorry  
Also, I want to apologize for a repeating spelling mistake. For some reason, I keep spelling 'Mazoku' as 'Mazako' (for God knows what reason O.o). So, in earlier chapters, you may come across that. I would fix it but it would be a bit of a pain to go back, delete everything, then repost it all. I may do that someday but…not any time soon…so, sorry!

* * *

**Second Chances**

Chapter 8: Second Chances

When Yuuri woke up, he was back in his room in Blood Pledge Castle. He sat up quickly. "Wolfram!" he gasped out, searching frantically for the blonde.

"Heika, calm down," Conrad's voice came from beside him, "Wolfram is with Gisela."

"How is he?" Yuuri demanded, turning to face his godfather.

Conrad shrugged slightly, "I'm no medic. Gisela is doing all she can."

"I want to see him."

Conrad met his eyes and nodded, "Very well then, follow me."

Conrad led Yuuri in silence to where Gisela was caring for Wolfram. Worry, fear, and anger flooded Yuuri. How could he have let himself lose consciousness in such a situation?! Furious with himself, he all but threw open the doors to the room.

"Heika!" Yuuri was greeted by a sobbing Gunter, "How could you leave me here like that?! If the worst had happened and I hadn't been there, I don't know what I would have done!"

Yuuri tried his best to ignore the lavender haired man, much to Gunter's added dismay.

"How is he?" Yuuri repeated his question to a slightly surprised Gisela.

The young girl sighed, "Well, he was very lucky. So far, I've found no evidence of damage to his lungs. At least four of his ribs are broken but it looks like they didn't affect his lungs the slightest. His shoulder is badly infected and so are a few of the deeper cuts on his arms. Also, both of his shoulders have been dislocated and the muscles in his legs have been torn pretty badly. Whatever torture method they used, it worked.  


Other than that though, the worst he has is some very bad bruises. I want to say he will be fine, but what's bothering me is that he hasn't woken up yet. True, I don't know exactly how much blood he lost and this might be one cause of this plus the fact that, from the looks of it, he hasn't eaten anything. However, to add to that, we still have no idea what kind of things those humans did to him and how it affected him mentally."

"So you're saying…" Yuuri couldn't finish the sentence.

"Yes, it's possible that he does not want to wake up. And this could prove to be a very serious problem. Even if he is body able to make a full recovery, if he doesn't want to wake up, he can still die."

Yuuri bit his lip. Gisela let out a soft sigh and rose from her seat next to Wolfram's bed.

"I will leave you alone with him," she said, putting a comforting hand on Yuuri's shoulder, "Yuuri-heika," she continued, her voice dropping so only Yuuri could hear her, "Only you can save him now." Without another word, she left, dragging a distressed Gunter along with her. Conrad met Yuuri's eyes once again before bowing slightly and excusing himself.

With everyone gone, Yuuri turned back to the motionless Wolfram. The blonde's breathing was slightly ragged and his face was twisted with pain.

"Wolfram…" Yuuri muttered, taking one of his pale hands in his own, "Please…wake up, Wolf. You can't leave me like this! Please…please…just wake up."

Yuuri broke off, sobbing heavily and burying his face in Wolfram's chest.

"Please Wolf…please…" he choked out.

* * *

Wolfram felt like he was sinking slowly. It was the strangest sensation. But, he wasn't about to complain. After all, he couldn't feel any pain. However, he also found that he couldn't see anything. It took him awhile to figure out that his eyes were closed. Carefully, he forced them open.

Suddenly, he found himself standing in a beautiful field. Flowers of all kinds covered the area, some he couldn't place and others he recognized from the castle gardens.

"Where am I?" he asked himself aloud, as if expecting someone to answer.

"Are you comfortable here?" A voice sounded behind him.

Wolfram turned to see Shinou himself.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Wolfram asked, taken aback. He started as a thought appeared in his mind, "Am I dead?"

Shinou smiled slightly, "You did not answer my question."

"And you didn't answer mine."

"Are you comfortable here?"

Wolfram thought about it for a moment, "I can feel no pain. Yes, I like it here."

"Are you sure?"

"Is this some kind of trick question?!" Wolfram was getting irritated now.

"Let me rephrase that," Shinou said, "Are you comfortable enough to remain here."

It took Wolfram a little longer to answer this question, for now he knew exactly was Shinou was asking him, "Well…yes. What would be the point of going back anyway? Nobody wants me back, and it would be like trading a world of joy for a world of pain."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Shinou said.

"_Wolfram…Please…wake up, Wolf. You can't leave me like this! Please…please…just wake up."_

Yuuri's voice echoed throughout the clearing, his heart retching sobs following.

"_Please Wolf…please…"_

"I would say somebody wants you back," Shinou said, smirking, "Very badly in fact."

"Why are you helping me?" Wolfram was feeling slightly confused now by Shinou's kind actions. His heart twisted even further as Yuuri's sobs continued, followed by small whimpered pleas. Was he really that important to the double black?

'_Maybe I mean more to Yuuri than I thought_.' For a second, hope fluttered in his heart. But, he quickly forced it back before it could spread and consume him. The last thing he needed to do was start hoping for Yuuri to return his feelings.

Shinou shrugged while answering his question, "It's not your time to die yet. Go back to him."

"Thank you," Wolfram said, slightly grudgingly.

"Go back to him…the one you love," Shinou continued, placing a hand of Wolfram's shoulder.

* * *

Yuuri couldn't remember being so scared in his life. Wolfram was still showing no signs of waking up and, to make things worse, his vital signs were beginning to slow. Yuuri pressed his thumb deeper into the blonde's wrist, making sure he didn't lose his pulse. To Yuuri, at the 

moment, his entire world revolved entirely around the beating of the prince's heart. If his was to stop, Yuuri couldn't say for sure that his own would continue.

"That's right," Yuuri whispered, squeezing Wolfram's hand, "If you die, I die. I can't live without you, Wolf." The tears were starting to fall again, "I can't believe the last conversation we had was that terrible, stupid argument. I just want you to know that everything I said was a lie. I love you Wolf, and I'd marry you ten times over if you would just wake up and tell me you at least forgive me for what I said."

Yuuri bowed his head, silent tears running freely down his cheeks. It took him a moment to realize that the hand he was squeezing, was twitching slightly.

His dark eyes flew open and he raised his head quickly.

A pair of emerald green eyes met his.

"Wolfram…" Yuuri whispered, his heart jumping to his throat.

The blonde was staring at him with a slightly dazed look.

"Wimp…" he said, his voice hoarse, "Why are you crying?"

Yuuri wiped the tears out of his eyes only for them to be replaced by new ones, "Because…I thought I lost you…"

Wolfram snorted, "You're more of a wimp than I thought!"

Yuuri was taken aback by the sudden flare of Wolfram's normal attitude. Half of him had expected the blonde to be…more or less, traumatized after the entire ordeal. Of course, he was practically giddy with relief that Wolfram at least seemed to be himself. It just came as a shock how quickly Wolfram could recover from it mentally.

"Don't call me a wimp," Yuuri tried to argue back. However, tears began to fall thicker down his cheeks. He had almost lost Wolfram forever and here they were, arguing over the stupidest thing as if nothing had happened. Before the double black knew it, he was sobbing again, possibly harder than before, his tears a mixture of relieved joy and grief.

* * *

Wolfram narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Yuuri lost composure completely. Since when did the wimp care so damn much? Unless, it was just an act to show Shin Makoku that he was truly a kind king. Something to assure Wolfram's family that Yuuri was upset as they were so they couldn't blame him for what happened. Yes, that was it. It was all just an act. That cheating wimp!

Anger boiled in Wolfram's stomach but he held it down. He was weaker and in more pain than he would care to admit. The last thing he had energy for was a temperamental outburst.

But as Yuuri continued to cry, doubt pricked at the blonde's heart. Maybe Yuuri really wasn't faking it. Furiously, Wolfram once again pushed away his hope. He had given Yuuri his heart, only to have it broken into pieces. He wasn't sure if he was ready to put it out there again, for fear it would be broken again, this time far beyond repair. Deep down, he still loved Yuuri with every fiber of his being. But he had to let him go, for his own health.

"You cheater!" He growled, glaring daggers at the double black.

"Wha…what?" Yuuri asked, his voice thick with tears.

"Damn it you wimp! Stop pretending already! How many times do you have to crush me to finally be satisfied?!"

Yuuri looked genuinely shocked. Wolfram had to hand it to him, he _was_ a good actor.

"Wolf…wha…what are you talking about?" Yuuri stammered.

"You know very well what I'm talking about, wimp!"

Yuuri just stared.

Growing more and more irritated by the second, Wolfram blurted out, "I know you don't care about me! So stop pretending all ready! You're only making it worse by acting upset! My family is not going to blame you for what happened and Shin Makoku will never turn against its king, there's no reason to continue lying! If you rescued me from that hell to bring me back to this, you should have just left me there!"

* * *

A shard of ice pierced Yuuri's heart. Wolfram didn't believe him! And, even worse, according to the blonde himself, Wolfram would have rather remained in the hands of the humans that had captured him! There had to be a way to show the blonde that the emotions that the double black was displaying were, in fact, real. Yuuri just didn't know how. He knew that talking would do nothing by the intensity in Wolfram's glare. Wolfram wouldn't be moved my mere words.

Yuuri flinched as it hit him. There _was_ a way to show Wolfram the truth behind his feelings. He couldn't tell him. Words were not nearly powerful enough. No, Yuuri would just have to show him.

'_Dear Shinou, help me!'_ Yuuri prayed anxiously, as he leaned in and locked his lips with the blonde's.

He pulled away after what felt like too short of a time. Wolfram's hostile glare had turned into a dazed look.

"Wolf," Yuuri pressed, before the blonde could snap out of it and (possibly) kill him, "Look, I just wanted to say, that everything I said before, about never loving you, was a complete lie. Honestly, I think I've loved you since the minute I first laid eyes on you. I was just too blinded by my own prejudices to accept it. When I saw you again, for the first time since you had been kidnapped, I very nearly died on the spot. I guess what they say is true, you never know what you have until you lose it. And I almost lost you, Wolfram. I never want to go through something like that again. Ever. And, knowing that it was possible for you to die while thinking I didn't love you, drove me crazy. I don't know what I would have done if you had died. I never want to see you in pain like that again. I'm so sorry, Wolf. I know I'm probably too late to save our engagement, but I can't let you go on thinking that I didn't see you as anything more than a friend. So, if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, and to give me a second chance, that's all I can ask for."

Yuuri watched the emotions on Wolfram's face anxiously as the blonde digested this. Hope fluttered in Yuuri's chest as he recognized the joy, warmth, and love on Wolfram's face. Deciding not to speak, Wolfram kissed Yuuri again. Yuuri eagerly kissed him back, feeling the unbelievable joy explode throughout his body, seeming to start from his rapidly beating heart.

When they broke away, Wolfram rested his forehead against Yuuri's.

"I think I believe in second chances."

* * *

**A/N:**  
And there you have it! Once again, I'm sorry it's not long T-T I just don't write long chapters I guess...I ended up writing three versions of this chapter (one where Wolfram dies, one where he lives but is really, really traumatized, and this one) And settled for this one because it turned out the best  
And, for all of those who wanted Wolfram to die, I promise that I will write a deathfic for him someday soon I actually was planning on making this a deathfic when I first started but...it just didn't turn out that way XD  
Thank you again for reading, I hope you all liked it!


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